


Forgive and Forget

by kattastic99



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, M/M, but like, im not tagging most of or any of this, some fucked up shit happens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 22:29:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13257918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kattastic99/pseuds/kattastic99
Summary: My character, Inverse, works for Dark, from The Monster's Darling. You don't gotta read that to get this, but it adds context.





	Forgive and Forget

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GalaxyGhosty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalaxyGhosty/gifts).



> So, all of this happens long after The Monster's Darling end, which hasn't happened yet. Inverse ties up a loose end, and traumatizes his boyfriend. This is not the first time it happens, and just. Go read The Monster's Darling.   
> Oh, I'd really love any comments, by the way, so if you want to please do so.

Love, is imperfect. To know your significant other so well that there is never a problem, a fight, or any issues at all, would be horrible. For there to never be a surprise, a facet you don't see, to know someone you love so completely that nothing they do is unexpected, would destroy the relationship beyond repair. Because to know someone that completely would forever reduce them to a predictable, almost lifeless entity. Imagine knowing the person you love most so well that you're never wrong about them, that you know what they would do in any situation because you know them better than they know themselves. It would be _horrible_.

 

Love, is work. It is discussions, compromises, planning, collaborations. It is disappointment, and regret, followed by talking and repairing. Love is work, because if you do not put in the work it will fall apart, no matter how long the relationship has been going. Even soulmates will break up if they do not work to keep their love alive.

 

Love, is a choice. It is waking up, seeing your lover, and choosing to be glad about it. It is being let down, without warning, and choosing to accept the apology. It is being let down and never being told sorry, and choosing to talk about it. It is choosing to have difficult discussions, choosing to keep going, choosing to fix what goes wrong. Love is looking back at all the hurt, the let downs, the many wrongs that have happened, and choosing that the good times are worth it. Love is knowing that your lover isn't perfect, knowing they will hurt you and you will hurt them, knowing that you cannot force them to be the perfect person for you, and choosing to be okay with that.

 

Cryotic knew these things, and he understood them. But there are things, when you are in love with a monster, that challenge the things you thought you knew about love. When you love a _monster_ , there are other things you must do. You must ignore the blood on their hands. You must allow people to die, knowing you could save them, because you know that you cannot stop your lover from being a monster and to try to do so anyways will only hurt you both. And you must watch yourself, lest you become a monster too.

 

"I just don't see what you're so nervous about, dude," Cryotic said. It wasn't his first day on the job, but it _was_ his first time going in with Inverse. His quote unquote 'good cop' routine usually involved him meeting the offending party first, alone, as a kind voice with a warning. For whatever reason, Inverse's boss had decided that for this particular debtor, Cryotic would go with Inverse while he 'collected the debt.'

 

"You haven't-" Inverse started, but Cryotic cut him off with a wave of his hand. If they hadn't been sitting in the car outside the guy's house, he would have wrapped an arm around his boyfriend to get his attention, but Cryotic didn't fancy getting eight weird-ass bruises trying to make his body fit where the car wasn't designed for comfort.

 

"I've cleaned your torture implements, I've disposed of bodies you left in our basement, and I've seen you pull a corpse apart to cut the meat out. I'm pretty sure I've proven that I'm not gonna bail on you for being cruel to some rando."

 

Inverse huffed, staring out the windshield instead of looking at his boyfriend. "It's not the same," he muttered under his breath, but not too quietly for Cryotic to hear.

 

"Yeah, well." Cryotic said, "It's enough for me to be sure that no matter you do in there," Cryotic said as he waved his hand in the direction of the house visible through the window of the car door, "I'm not gonna run out of there. Nor am I gonna run out on _you_ ," he said as he crossed his arms and pouted. Not that Inverse could really see it, what with the mask Cryotic always wore and everything, but they'd been dating long enough for Inverse to know when Cryotic was being pouty.

 

Inverse sighed, and opened his door of the car. He hesitated before he got out, though, clearly struggling to think of something he wanted to say. Then he just sighed, giving up on that train of thought, and said "Just. Just remember, when we're in there, that I'm never going to hurt you. Okay?"

 

Cryotic turned to face him, a soft smile hidden by his mask. "Yeah, I know," he said. Inverse smiled too, but his was. Sadder, maybe. Cryotic couldn't really pinpoint what it was, but he knew the smile wasn't a happy one. Then Inverse was gone, door slamming shut as he walked out of view. Cryotic sighed to himself, doing his best to try and prepare himself for the shit that was about to go down. Then he got out of the car, just in time to see Inverse close the trunk, his right hand wrapped around the handle of his favorite bat. It was a sturdy, wooden bat with a heavy length of chain wrapped around the head, held in place by a large nail between the two end links.

 

Cryotic walked up the concrete path to the house's front door. It was a fairly big house, not a manor but definitely not something just anybody could afford. Inverse followed, but on the grass to the left of the path. The whole scheme of this kind of depended on the man they were here to see not looking out the front windows as they approached, since Cryotic was going to ring the doorbell with Inverse out of sight of the peep hole. Even with a mask, Cryotic was still a kinder face.

 

Whatever passed for luck when it came to criminal organizations apparently liked them, because the shoddy excuse for a plan went off without a problem. Inverse leaned against the siding of the house next to the door while Cryotic rang the doorbell, and about a minute and a half later they heard someone put their hands on the door, probably as they leaned in to look through the peep hole. A few seconds later, the owner of the house spoke through the door.

 

"Who is it?" he asked with an irritated tone of voice.

 

Cryotic paused, his body language clearly projecting confusion. "What?" he asked. "I can't hear you."

 

The man sighed, and undid the latch of his front door before opening it. "I said, who the hell are you?"

 

Inverse swung around, putting his foot over the threshold before fully coming into view. There was a smile on his face, but it wasn't friendly. "Come, now, Devon, that's hardly any way to talk to a pair of friends."

 

The man, Devon apparently, was already stepping backwards. Inverse walked inside, bat slung over his shoulder, and Cryotic followed before closing the door behind himself. Then he turned around and locked it.

 

"You're not my friend," Devon spat, his fear giving way to anger remarkably quickly. "And your slimy fucking boss is _getting_ his goddamn money, so-"

 

Devon was cut off rather abruptly when Inverse, casual as can be, hefted his bat and swung it with one hand into a small table that held a lamp and a book, sending both crashing to the floor. Inverse looked down at the broken lamp and tutted. "Well, would you look at that?" He said, looking back up to Devon who was clearly unnerved. "It seems your lamp broke, there, Devon," Inverse said with a concerned tone of voice. "You should really be more careful," he said with a far, far more sinister tone.

 

While Devon stuttered, at a loss for words, Cryotic took the time to look around the place. It was nice, really. The front door opened out into an open space, with a staircase dead ahead, the living room to the right, and what looked like a den or something to the left. It was all very open, and Cryotic could see through a wide arch at the back of the den what looked like the kitchen. The living room was carpeted, with a comfortable looking chair and a big tv and a fancy looking shelf full of either dvds or games. The wall that supported the stairs prevented him from seeing what was beyond the living room, though, and he felt weird just wandering through a guy's house when he was there to help rob him, or something. Was it extortion if the guy owed them money?

 

"L-look," Devon finally managed to get out, "I know the money's late, okay, but I'm gonna pay it, alright? You don't have to, to. To...." Devon trailed off, stepping back again as Inverse approached him. "You d-don't, uh, you don't. Don't have to, to, intimidate! Me." Devon wasn't doing so well with an armed, dangerous man in his house. Cryotic felt bad for him.

 

Inverse sighed dramatically, letting the head of his bat thud against the hardwood floor. "You know, Devon," he said as he looked Devon in the eyes, posture relaxed, "Normally that would be the case. Normally, my pal over here," Inverse turned and gestured to Cryotic, awkwardly mingling over by the door, before turning back to face Devon, "would have been the one to come here, to implore you to pay the money you owed, before _I_ had to get involved. Cryotic doesn't like people getting hurt, you see? He's a sweetheart like that." Cryotic did his best not to blush mid-armed-robbery. It was uncouth.

 

"T-then-" Devon started, before he shut up mid sentence when Inverse stood straight and lifted his bat.

 

"But, you see, Devon," Inverse said as he began walking around Devon, bat in hand, "This isn't about the money anymore."

 

"It's not?" Devon asked, clearly as startled as Cryotic was feeling. If they weren't here to collect a debt, what _were_ they here for? And why the fuck did Inverse lie to him about it? It took Cryotic about two seconds to realize that Dark must have ordered Inverse to lie to him. Why, Cryotic couldn't guess at, beyond 'just to be a fucking prick.' Dark was fond of being a piece of shit.

 

"No, Devon, it's not," Inverse said as he came to a stop in front of the very, very scared man they were here to do something horrible to, probably. "See, my boss runs a very large organization, with a large and varied range of goods and services. But, that organization has interests, Devon. Investments, markets it would like to be certain ways, and other organizations with which it has varied, sometimes nasty relationships with. And you," Inverse pointed at Devon. With his bat. "You, Devon, thought it would be a good idea to dip your fingers in several pies. Make deals, with people that you knew my boss doesn't like. Use assets _we_ gave you to fund things that we didn't want you to fund. You sold yourself to some people that we don't like, just so they would take care of your debt for you. And that alone, Devon, would be enough to warrant this visit."

 

Devon was visibly shaking, now. Cryotic wasn't sure if he still felt bad for the guy, but it was pretty clear that Devon was close to literally pissing himself. But Inverse wasn't done with his speech.

 

"But that's not all you did, is it?" Inverse asked, a biting tone to his voice that actually kind of confused Cryotic. Inverse didn't usually sound like that. It almost sounded like he was... Disgusted. Which, all things considered, Cryotic didn't even think Inverse could _feel_ anymore. Inverse fucking **ate** people, what the fuck did this guy do to make Inverse disgusted by him?

 

"No," Inverse said, his voice almost managing to be even more threatening than the weapon he was holding. While it had been held in one hand until now, Inverse wrapped his other hand around the handle, knuckles turning pale with the strength of the grip. "No, you, you did something that pissed my boss off on a personal level. Turns out, Devon, you were the person Dark was looking for, for a very long time. That you were dealing in human trafficking on the side while keeping close, professional contact with us should have tipped us off. It really, _really_ should have, but you were pretty good at covering your tracks."

 

Inverse was slowly, almost agonizingly slowly, approaching Devon. Cryotic was now very sure he didn't feel bad about this anymore, and Devon had finally, actually pissed himself. The vile man was stuttering, terrified, but he managed to spit something out. "Y-y-you, you, you g-got it all wrong, I s-swear, I wasn't gonna-"

 

Even a good dozen feet away, Cryotic swore he could hear the chain wrapped around Inverse's bat rattle from the force of the blow against Devon's left leg, his knee dislocating from the force and sending him crashing to the floor with a scream.

 

"We always suspected that if Dark hadn't shown up to save him, Cry would have sold Jack to somebody eventually. And last week, we found out ** _who_**."

 

Devon kept screaming as Inverse swung his bat again, and again, and again, bones creaking and then snapping under the blows. Blood started pooling, where the chains ruptured the skin under his clothes. Cryotic stood there, staring, with a sudden and intense hatred that almost made him sick. Devon's screams started turning to gurgles as his ribs went through his lungs, and before he could choke to death on his own blood Inverse started slamming the bat into his head.

 

Love, is hard. Falling _in_ love is easy, people do it by accident for fuck's sake. But love, a relationship, is hard. It is exhausting at times, and rewarding at others. It is watching your lover hurt, and being unable to help. It is knowing things, things that would hurt your lover dearly, and having to decide whether or not to tell them. It is making difficult choices, difficult not because the choice is particularly divisive in and of itself but difficult purely because the person it will affect is the one you love. And, sometimes, if the one you love is a monster, love can be hard in a very different way. When you love a monster, you have to be careful to not become a monster yourself.

 

Sometimes, becoming a monster is so much easier than staying human.


End file.
